The Frankish Towers of Central Greece

The Medieval towers of the former Duchy of Athens and Thebes—that is, the modern Nomes of Attica, Boeotia, Phokis, and Phthiotis—are described and analysed.

With reference to their siting, their architectural details, and any associated features, together with an examination of any relevant documentary material, the dating, the affinities, and the function of the towers within the feudal landscape of mainland central Greece are discussed.

Acknowledgements. I wish to thank the Directors of the Cambridge and Bradford Boeotian Expedition for help and encouragement in the early days of this work; the College of Ripon and York St John for a grant towards the cost of travel and photographic materials; Ms Nancy Stedman and Mr Jon Pavely for help with the field-work; Mr Keith Maude for advice and help with matters photographic, and Dr Peter Burridge for much useful discussion.

1Bon, A., ‘Fortresses Médiévales de la Gréce Centrale’, BCH61 (1937) 136–208. For a recent following of these views, Hazard, H. W. (ed.), A History of the Crusadesiv (University of Wisconsin1977) 213.

17 The ground floor of the monastic towers of Athos were used for storage purposes. The Serbian chronicler Daniel records an attack by Catalan raiders on the Russian monastery of St Panteleimon in 1307. All the buildings were burned except the tower where the monks had taken refuge. The raiders built a fire around the base of the tower to force the monks out. They, however, extinguished the fire with wine stored in the basement of the tower. Soloviev, Alexander, Byzantion8 (1933) 223–4. I am grateful to Dr Peter Burridge for this reference.

67Amandry, , BCH68–9 (1945) 429. According to Leake (op. cit. 464) the towers at both Schematari and Grimada (Tanagra) had been converted into churches. At Tanagra there is no surviving evidence for this reuse.